Folkmoot is excited to welcome back the talented group, Paloina Amsterdam. Paloina International Dance Group was founded in 1971 by Johan and Erda Baerents. This well-schooled group is known for its verve and energy and is a member of CIOFF.

The team is made up of 25 young dancers and six musicians who have been trained in traditional Dutch music and dance. They also wear traditional Dutch costumes which consist of head covering for both ladies and gentlemen, bodices and shirts, skirts with somber colors for the women and dark, loose-fitting trousers for the men.

Paloina has an impressive tour history in numerous countries such as Romania, Belgium, Italy, Croatia, South Korea, Turkey, France, Poland, U.S., Portugal, Wales, Spain, Hungary, England, Spain, Germany, Greece, Aruba, Israel, and more. Netherlands doesn’t have a tradition of competition in Folk Dance, but we are considered to be one of the best performance groups. In Turkey and South-Korea Paloina won the awards for best costume. We participated in the Turkish Folkdance competition in The Netherlands and won the second prize in 2010, 2013 and 2014. In 2012 Paloina was the national champion Turkish Folk Dancing.

About Folkmoot

Folkmoot is an international folk festival held since 1984 in Waynesville, North Carolina and surrounding communities. During its history, the two-week event has featured around 200 groups from approximately 100 countries. The Southeast Tourism Society has named Folkmoot USA one of its top twenty events for 20 years. The Folkmoot USA non-profit organization has its headquarters in the former Hazelwood Elementary School.

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